1. Field of the Invention
The invention is situated in the field of materials handling technology and concerns a device and a method for the transfer of flexible flat articles, in particular printed products, between two conveyors, in accordance with the preamble of the corresponding independent claims.
2. Description of Related Art
The patent document EP-A 1834911 describes a transfer device, in the case of which individual articles are transferred by first grippers to moving in parallel second grippers. The second grippers are arranged below the first grippers. In a transfer zone the first grippers are opened, so that the articles due to the force of gravity slide into the moving along open second grippers, which thereupon are closed. For the stabilisation of the articles during the transfer, resp., in the transfer zone, a stabilisation device is provided, which comprises two helix- or spiral-shaped rotors oriented in opposite directions. These, respectively, laterally dip into the gaps between the articles held by the first grippers and thus form an essentially vertically oriented plane support, which moves along with the articles through the whole transfer zone, keeps these straight and only finishes, when the second gripper is closed. A disadvantage of this arrangement is the relatively large volume, which is required by the lateral rotors, as well as the complexity of the complete stabilisation device.
EP 1 281 650 A1 describes a device for bringing together articles individually held in a gripper conveyor, which are always taken over in twos by the grippers of a gripper wheel, and in this manner are transferred to a taking-away conveyor. In doing so, the gripper conveyor, viewed in a circumferential direction of the gripper wheel, extends around the gripper wheel along a certain angle with a concave course, in order to transfer the articles to the gripper wheel. Because of the utilisation of the gripper wheel for the transfer between the gripper conveyor and the taking-away conveyor, the device is comparatively complex.
EP 0 380 921 A1 manifests a device for the taking over and passing on of printed sheets. The printed sheets are supplied suspended by a first conveyor system and transferred to a second conveyor system. In doing so, a transfer system with rotating receiving compartments is provided. In the zone of the transfer system, the first conveyor system comprises a concave track course around the transfer system. Because of the utilisation of the transfer system, the device is comparatively complex.